Palermo

Introduction

palermo1

Palermo is the capital and largest city of the autonomous Italian region of Sicily, south of the mainland, and also of the province of Palermo It's located in the northwest of the island along the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and has about 650,000 inhabitants. Palermo is widely considered to be the most conquered city in the world and is over 2,700 years old.

Sights and Activities

lamp post in Palermo

Cathedral - Most diverse church in the world! This place is amazing in every way from the architecture to the beautiful space in front of the cathedral, but what stands out as the best is the religious history of this cathedral. This Catholic cathedral has an inscription from the Koran on one of the pillars! It was a mosque before that and Byzantine Basilica before that.

Palazzo dei Normanni - Yes, the Normans did get right down here! The building houses the Sicilian Parliament and only a small part is open to the public but some excellent mosaics can be seen.

Convento di Cappuccini - Catacombs full of skeletons, lcothed and arranged by sex, profession and status. One is a young girl who was embalmed by a secret process that died with the embalmer. She looks remarkably lifelike, as opposed to the majority. Children will be exhilarated or terrified and if in doubt, you are advised not to take them.

San Giovanni dei Eremeti - A deconsecrated church built over an earlier mosque with numerous arabic features.

La Martorana and San Catoldo churches - They are adjacent churches directly in the centre. The Martorana is very ornate with some fine mosaics; San Catoldo is very simple but has a great atmosphere - and red cupolas!

La Zisa - A palace dating from the 12th century with Arabic features. Claims that it bares comparison with the great Andalusian Moorish remains is absurd but it's quite striking.

Monte Pellegrino - Reached by a wonderful bus ride with great views of the coast. Taking a path to the top might seem more appealing than visiting the shrine!

Archaeological Museum - The mosaic of orpheus playing an instrument to the animals is very good indeed.

Quattro Canti The best intersection in Palermo. This place is super easy to find. It is in the middle of everything and only takes a few min to visit. It is next to Piazza Pretoria and San Giuseppe which are two ther places I would recommend visiting. The intersection always has horse carriage rides. The statues are four Spanish kings or almost kings. It's pretty dirty and kinda stinks like homeless people and horse pee.

Ballarò Street Market - It is a local street market that has become the main street market of Palermo. The mix of smells and people and cultures all in one market. You can glimpse into the life of the real people of the city. You can purchase everything from food to clothes to toys for your kids.

Teatro Massimo - Second largest theater in Europe. It is actually the 3rd largest building (theater) but the second largest stage. This place is huge! So big in fact that they would use actual elephants on stage. It really is a must see on your visit to Palermo. It is close and in easy walking distance to almost everything. There are tons of good places to eat close and there are times when you can get tours of Massimo. During Christmas time the Christmas decorations are stunning.

Teatro Politeama - This is one of the top hangout spots in Palermo. This place is also a big hub for buses and it seems to be the favorite hang out of high school kids after school. During the summer months they have all kinds of events on display like wine fairs and art exhibitions. When it was first constructed it was supposed to be an ampitheater, but later they put a roof on it and that is what we see today. It is home to many of Palermo's musical performances and fine arts. The area around the theator has some of the best places in the entire city to eat.

Parco D'Orleans - Crazy Birds! A world of exotic birds! It is a perfectly maintained park. Everything from the little signs talking about the different species of birds to the perfectly hedged greenery. Oddly enough there are goats there too. There are birds of all types from all over the world.

Villa Giulia - Best park in Palermo. Villa Giullia is one of those hidden gems in Palermo. It is very beautiful and peaceful. There are never very many people there even during the peak of summer with all the tourist. There is a really cool sundial in the middle of the park. This thing is the most complex sundial I have ever seen. Other statues around the park are dedicated to famous people from the past of Palermo. The location is a bit out of the way but worth the walk if you have time.

Giardino Garibaldi - Nice little park with a the oldest ficus in Palermo. You may see a family or a romantic rendezvous when you visit this small park. It is known for the tree but most of the locals refer to this place as Piazza Marina. On Sunday mornings there is a market where you can find odds and ends and a hodge-podge of Palermo antiques.

fountain of Shame

Monreale

Monreale is part of Palermo and is located south of the city center. It is on top of mountain Caputo, overlooking the valley dubbed "the Golden Shell", because of all the orange trees. Moneal is known for the beautiful Cathedral.

The most extraordinary and extensive area of Christian medieval mosaicwork in the world, the apex of Sicilian-Roman art - Rough Guide to Sicialy.

Hype? Not a bit of it! This is one of the real must-sees of a visit to Sicily. This refers to the Basilica but don't miss the cloisters as well, through a separate entrance.

Events and Festivals

St. Rosalia

One of the biggest festivals in Palermo is that of St. Rosalia. She is the Patroness of Palermo. On July 15 all the city celebrates and the streets are full of lights and processions. According to legend, Rosalia was born of a Norman noble family that claimed descent from Charlemagne. Devoutly religious, she retired to life as a hermit in a cave on Mount Pellegrino, where she died alone in 1166. Tradition says that she was led to the cave by two angels. On the cave wall she wrote "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses, and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." In 1624, a horrible plague haunted Palermo, and during this hardship St Rosalia appeared first to a sick woman, then to a hunter to whom she indicated where her remains were to be found. She ordered him to bring her bones to Palermo and have them carried in procession through the city. The hunter climbed the mountain and found her bones in the cave as described. He did what she had asked in the apparition, and after the procession the plague ceased. After this St Rosalia would be venerated as the patron saint of Palermo, and a sanctuary was built in the cave where her remains were discovered.

Other Events and Festivals

Eat

market in Palermo

Palermo is known for it's food. Because it has been conquered by so many cultures each has left its mark and can be seen by the diverse mixture of food. Here is a list of some of the better known food!

Street Foods

Street foods foods are commonly found as quick snack during the day or night. Some of them can be found in a "bar" or in a "Rosticceria". In Italy a bar is not a place you go at night to drink, it is a place to grab a quick snack during the day or a cafè. You can find these places almost on every corner. The other types of quick snacks can be found at night in places like Vucciria by street vendors.

Arancine - Fried ball of rice stuffed with butter and cheese or meat and veggies.

Crocchette - Mashed potatos with butter, eggs, and spices. They are covered in bread crumbs then deep fried.

Frittola - This meat is like our spam: nobody really knows exactly what it is made of. At least it is fried.

Sfincione - Baked pizza bread with a tomato sauce, onion, usually spicy and with no cheese.

Stigghiole - Lamb intestines on a stick with parsley and onion. Usually seasoned with salt and lemon.

Sweet Stuff

Because the mix of cultures over the centuries Palermo and Sicily have become world renown for the best sweets ever created. Most of the sweets can be found in the local bakeries (aka. Trattoria). Depending on the time of year some sweets and cakes are more common than others and can be found in the street markets while other sweets like the granita (flavored slushies) are typically found in the summer near Mondello (the beach). The cannoli and the gelato in a brioche are a few of the typical sweets that Palermo is known for.

Pasta con Nero di Seppia - Ink ssquid pasta is made by using the ink from squid and cooking it is with onions, olive oil wine and tomoto paste. It must be served hot and is really neat to see the way it makes all your teeth black!

Weather

Palermo has a mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild wet winters. Summers last from June to September when average daytime temperatures are around 30 °C, though sometimes rise to more than 40 °C. Nights are around 21 °C, though with warm winds from the south also these can stay above 30 °C in some rarer occasions! Winters last from December to March and are around 16 °C to 18 °C during the day and just under 10 at night with an absolute low of zero degrees. Winter days of over 25 °C are rare but possible! Most of the rain falls during winter and June and July are almost completely dry.

Rail - The airport's rail facility, Punta Raisi railway station, is the northwestern terminus of Palermo Metro Line A. It links the airport with Palermo Centrale railway station. Most trains travel at 30-minute intervals from early morning to about 10:00pm. It takes 50 minutes and costs €5.80.

By Train

There is one main train station in Palermo "Stazione Centrale". Trenitalia is the company that runs all the trains in Italy. There are trains that run almost every half hour to places like Cefalu and Messina. Train travel to the mainland Italy is also possible. Your train will be loaded onto a boat and then cross over from Messina to Calabria. There are regular trains onward to Naples and Rome.

By Car

Good tarred roads lead to/from Palermo and most cities and towns are well signposted.

By Bus

By Boat

There are several lines that transport passengers, cars, and trucks in and out of Palermo. The port isn't really that big and there are plenty of signs directing you to the offices of where you can buy tickets. Most likely you will have bought your tickets online and just need info on where to find your boat. Get there with some time to spare because check-in time is usually a few hours before departure. There is a handy dandy information booth to the right side just after you enter into the port through the main entrance. It is very similar to the one found near Piazza Pretoria and Quattro Canti. They can give you free city maps and help you find things if you are arriving by boat and need directions to your next destination in Palermo. Be warned you will be mobbed by people selling tours at the entrance of the port during the vacation season. If you are hungry and waiting for your boat to leave, near the entrance is a little place to get some food and snacks. The port is within walking distance to the center of the city but if you have a million bags you might be better off getting a cab. They are usually waiting at the port in a long line.

Getting Around

By Car

Car rental is possible in Palermo but not suggested to visitors. It is expensive and Palermo is one of the toughest places in the world when it comes to driving in the traffic and congestion.

By Public Transport

Regular buses connect most areas in Palermo and a 24-hour ticket is just €4.

There is something very important you must know about the bus system in Palermo. It works but not really. There are scheduled times and sometimes the buses are perfectly on schedule, other times the bus may be delayed for half an hour. Tickets can be purchased at a "biglietteria" or a "tabacchi". More than likely you will see signs that say "tabacchi" that is where you can buy cigarettes and lottery tickets. If they do not speak English (it is likely they don't) the word for ticket is biglietto. Say it like ( bill yet toe). They cost €1.30 and they are good for 90 minutes after you stamp the ticket in the machine that is on the bus. There will be a little yellow box looking thing on the bus. Look on your ticket you will see a wide arrow to one end of the ticket. Insert that side into the machine. You will hear and feel the machine stamping the day and time on it. These boxes are usually right when you enter the bus next to the bus driver. The system works a little differentlythan other places in the world. The bus drivers here don't care if you don't pay. They are concerned only with driving the bus. There are ticket police that will randomly check buses to make sure everyone has a ticket. So theoretically you can get on a bus and ride for free with no problem if a ticket inspector doesn't get on the bus. If you have a ticket but it is not stamped you will still get a fine if your ticket is checked.

Here are a few bus numbers worth mentioning. If you would like to search all the bus routes check out the AMATwebsite.

101- The main bus that you can take to get from Politeama to central station;

806 - The bus for Mondello (the beach) the stop is at Politeama;

812 - Santa Rosalia Sanctuary (Mount. Pellegrino) Politeama.

There is also an urban railway system called Metropolitana di Palermo and currently has 2 lines with plans for a 3rd one. The current lines are:

Line A - Palermo Centrale railway station - Palermo International Airport;

Line B - Notarbartolo - Giachery.

By Foot

Most of the interesting sites around the centre can easily be reached on foot.

By Bike

Although possible, it is not recommended to go biking in Palermo. There are several options though to rent a bike. For example try Bici Sanicola (€3 per 24h) or tours like Ciclytour and Tour Palermo.

Sleep

Upscale

Work

With high unemployment rates, it is difficult to find a job in Sicily for Sicilians, so for foreigners it might be even more difficult. Legally, you must have a stay permit to live and work in Italy unless you are a European Union (EU) citizen. In practice (if you aren't an EU citizen), this permit is difficult to obtain unless an employer sponsors you. It is easiest if you have some Italian friends or contacts in the first place and your best bet to find a job is as an English teacher.

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Almost all towns and cities in Italy have internet cafes. A growing number of budget hostels and nicer hotels have free Wifi. By law all public-access internet points must keep records of web sites viewed by customers, and even the customer's ID: expect to be refused access if you don't provide identification. Hotels providing Internet access are not required to record IDs if the connection is provided in the guest's room, although if the connection is offered in the main public hall then IDs are required. Publicly available wireless access without user identification is illegal, so open Wi-Fi hotspots (like the ones you might expect to find in a mall or cafée) all have some form of (generally one-time) registration.

Phone

The main networks are TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile, part of Telecom Italia, formerly state controlled), Vodafone, Wind, and 3 (only UMTS cellphones). Best advice is to buy a prepaid SIM card (from € 10 upwards) and a cheap mobile phone (€ 19 upwards) to put it in (if you don't have a cellphone already that you can use). It will be much more practical. All land line numbers start with 0. Mobile numbers start with 3. Numbers starting with 89 are high-fee services. In case of emergency call the appropriate number from the list below. Such calls are usually free and calls to 112, 113 (police), 115 (fire), 118 (health) can be made from payphones for free without the need of inserting coins. 112 (standard emergency number in GSM specification) can be dialed in any case for free from any mobile phone.

Post

Post Italiane is the national postal services of Italy and has quite an efficient network of postal offices and reliable postal services. Standard letters and postcards (up to 20 grams) cost €0.39 to send within Europe and the Mediterranean countries outside Europe and €0.41 to all other destinations throughout the country. Up to 50 grams, prices start at €0.52 for Europe, €0.62 for other areas. Packages start at €1.55 within Europe, and around €2.50 for other countries. Post office business hours in Italy are from 8:30am to 2:00pm from Monday to Friday, with closing times at Saturday and the last day of the month at 12 noon. In general, larger post offices in bigger cities and in tourist areas keep longer hours than those in local towns. Also note that business hours in the south might be different than the north, with longer hours at night, especially in summer! If you want to send packages you might try faster and more reliable/efficient private courier companies like TNT, UPS or DHL.

Contributors

Palermo Travel Helpers

PatrizioA

I am American who lives in Palermo. I love this place and it has become a passion of mine. I am currently working on my website with all the best places and things to do in Palermo. I have also traveled to and from Palermo quite often, by train, bus, airplane, and Boat. Feel freee to ask me anything about the city. I will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly.